Safety wick assembly for effusion lamps

ABSTRACT

An improved effusion lamp which includes a wick assembly secured to a wick assembly carrier member, and, in turn, the wick assembly carrier member is secured to an oil vessel (with or without an intervening collar interface member) are configured for secure engagement to significantly reduce oil spillage in the event of accident toppling of the effusion lamp.

CITATION TO PRIOR APPLICATION

This is a continuation-in-part application of co-pending U.S.application Ser. No. 11/017,199, filed on Dec. 17, 2004, from whichpriority is claimed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to oil-based lamps and wick assemblies.

2. Background Information

Effusion lamps have become a very popular home accessory in recenttimes. Effusion lamps are scented oil lamps which are usually decorativeas well as scent-generating means. Current designs for effusion lampsinvolve a decorative oil vessel with a wick receptacle and an wickassembly (see FIG. 1) which slides telescopically into the vessel's wickreceptacle.

A serious problem with current effusion lamp design relates to theprobability that a toppled lamp (particularly a burning one) will ignitea catastrophic fire. This, in turn, arises from the design feature thatinvolves the mere sliding engagement between the wick assembly and thelamp vessel (or, if a vessel collar is used, a loose arrangement betweenall three components). If the lamp is toppled, there is nothing toprevent the wick from disengaging with the vessel and the oil spilling.Again, if at the time of the mishap, the lamp was burning, the oil willlikely ignite with very serious consequences.

A new design is needed to address the safety concerns described above.The lack of safer design is believed to arise from a failure of presentdesigners to appreciate a subtle but important distinction betweeneffusion lamps and conventional fibrous wick-based oil lamps. In thelatter case, oil can somewhat readily flow through the fibrous wick,which extends from the oil vessel through the wick assembly to theexterior of the lamp. As a result, and without an appreciation for thefact that the catalytic wick stone acts as a cap of sorts to prevent oilflow through the wick assembly, one might assume that little would begained in terms of safety by merely securing the wick assembly to theoil vessel.

The present inventor has recognized the important distinctions betweenconventional oil lamp and effusion lamp designs, and the safetyopportunities that the wick stone member presents, if utilized as hereinlater described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention toprovide an improved effusion lamp.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an effusionlamp of a design which affords enhanced safety by reducing thelikelihood of accidental oil spillage.

In satisfaction of these and other related objectives, Applicant'spresent invention provides an improved effusion lamp which replacescurrent wick assembly and oil vessel interface with a much safer design.The design of the present invention involves a wick assembly that issecured to a wick assembly carrier member and, in turn, the wickassembly carrier member and oil vessel (with or without an interveningcollar interface member) are configured for secure engagement. Theresult of this design is that significant oil spillage is unlikely inthe event of accident toppling of the effusion lamp.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of a wick assemblysupport member with a catalytic wick assembly in position for intendeduse in the context of an effusion lamp.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of a wick assemblysupport member, as in FIG. 1, but with the catalytic wick assemblyremoved, and showing the wick assembly support member's engagement witheffusion lamp oil vessel collar member.

FIG. 3 is cross-sectional overview of the pressed metal screw cap.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the pressed metal screw cap with thesub-assembly wick top.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the pressed metal screw cap andshowing its relationship with a braided cotton wick.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the effusion lamp 10 of the presentinvention is not shown it its entirety, as the oil vessel portion of thelamp 10 is not separately depicted, but such is well understood in theart to be a liquid-tight receptacle for retaining the oil used witheffusion lamps, and can assume appearances and configurations of nearlimitless variations.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention includes (in additionto the oil vessel) a catalytic wick assembly 12. Catalytic wick assembly12 includes a fibrous wick member 14 and an attached catalytic wickstone member 16 secured to the fibrous wick member 14.

An elongate wick assembly support member 18 includes a wick passageconduit 20 defined substantially through an axial centerline thereof.The fibrous wick member 14 passes through wick passage conduit 20, withthe catalytic wick stone member 16 resting at the outer opening of thewick passage conduit 20 as shown in FIG. 1.

A wick stone retainer 22 secures catalytic wick stone member 16 to theelongate wick assembly support member 18 as shown in FIG. 1.

The outer, substantially annular surface 24 of elongate wick assemblysupport member 18 is at least partially endowed with a contour whichincludes threads 24.

Referring principally to FIG. 2, threads 24 are configured tothreadingly engage with complimentary threads 26 of a vessel collarmember 28. Vessel collar member 28 is intended to serve as an interfacelinkage between the elongate wick assembly support member 18 and thewick orifice of an oil vessel (not shown) with which interior threads 30designed to threadingly engage.

In an alternative embodiment (see FIGS. 3, 4, and 5), elongate wickassembly support member 18 is frictionally, or “press-fit” into vesselcollar member 28, thereby eliminating threads 26.

In yet another alternative (not illustrated in the figures) is the oileffusion lamp vessel permanently attached with or to the separate wickassembly support member 18 and thereby forming a coherent unitarystructure.

Once catalytic wick assembly 12 is secured to elongate wick assemblysupport member 18, elongate wick assembly support member 18 is securedto vessel collar member 28, and vessel collar member 28 is secured tothe oil vessel 32, or, whether the wick assembly support member iscontinuous with or separate but permanently attached to the oil effusionlamp, a substantially “spill fire-proof” effusion lamp is the result.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specificembodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limitedsense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well asalternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent topersons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of theinvention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims willcover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.

1. An improved effusion lamp comprising: an effusion lamp vesselconfigured for receiving an maintaining a measure of effusion lamp oil,and having a wick orifice; a catalytic wick assembly comprising afibrous wick member and a catalytic wick stone member secured to saidfibrous wick member; an elongate wick assembly support member having awick passage conduit defined substantially through an axial centerlinethereof, said wick passage conduit being sized for extension of a lengthof said fibrous wick member therethrough, and, at a first end of saidwick assembly support member, having wick stone securement means forsecuring said wick stone member to said elongate wick assembly supportmember, an generally annular outer surface of said elongate wickassembly having vessel engagement means for securely registering saidelongate wick assembly support member with said wick orifice of saideffusion lamp vessel.
 2. The effusion lamp of claim 1 wherein saidvessel engagement means are threads and wherein said wick orifice ofsaid effusion lamp vessel is configured with complimentary threads forthreaded engagement between said effusion lamp vessel and said elongatewick assembly support member.
 3. The effusion lamp of claim 1 whereinsaid wick assembly support member is continuous with the oil effusionlamp.
 4. The effusion lamp of claim 1 wherein said wick assembly supportmember is separate from but permanently attached to the oil effusionlamp.